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Myth Game Rules

IntroductionWelcome to the world of Myth. [add some more flavorful info about the game]

OverviewMyth is a cooperative tabletop game for 2 to 5 players. Each player takes on the role of a hero and must work together to overcome the darkness. Using a deck of cards unique to each hero, players explore the realm, battle evil monsters, and overcome dangerous traps in order to complete quests and acquire powerful new items and abilities.

Players are in full control of how they wish to play a game of Myth. They are creating stories with their heroes that can be told over the course of one play session, or their stories can span multiple game sessions in which they shape the realm through the quests they undertake. Unlike many other games, players make choices to determine the dangers they face throughout the game. Quests provide the structure for the game and present the players with their objectives, but even if the heroes fail a particular quest, their story can still continue.

Components[Graphics of all components, with names and quantities]

Reading this BookMyth is a complex game and it can be easy for new players to feel overwhelmed. This book is organized in a way to introduce players to the basic mechanics needed to start playing as quickly as possible. Most of the structured elements of gameplay are presented first, while many of the advanced concepts are detailed later in the book. In addition, there is a rules reference at the back of the book with important rules summarized in an easy to read format. This makes it easy for players to reference quickly while playing.

SetupTo begin a game of Myth, players should perform the following setup steps:

1. Prepare the Darkness: Lay the darkness board off to the side of the play area, but within view and reach of the players. Place a threat token on the “0” space of the darkness meter.

a. Shuffle “The Terror with 1000 Legs” darkness deck and place it on the draw space on the darkness board. Future Myth releases will include new Darkness decks, which can be used in place of or in addition to “The Terror with 1000 Legs” deck.

b. Place the monster cards and corresponding miniatures near the darkness board, within reach, along with the lair tokens. Gather the treasure counters and place them next to the darkness board, near the treasure section (lower right of the board).

2. Create the Token Supplies: Create individual token supplies for each of the following: status effect tokens, gold coins, potion tokens, and serendipity tokens.

3. Separate and Shuffle the Decks: Search through the item cards, remove each card with a quest icon in the top right corner, and set them aside. Separate the item cards by color (brown, white, green, and blue). Shuffle each of the white, green, and blue decks separately and place them facedown off to the side of the play area. Shuffle the merchant cards and place this deck facedown near the item decks.

4. Choose and Prepare Heroes: Each player chooses one hero to play as, then collects the corresponding hero token, hero cards, and any hero ability tokens that correspond to the chosen hero. Then, each player takes one hero board and places his hero token in the top left punched out opening of the hero board.

a. Each player removes each advanced hero card from his deck (there are 5 advanced hero cards in each hero deck in the core set). Advanced hero cards are designated by the green flame icon at the top of the card. Players will be able to earn these cards by completing story quests (see page XX).

b. Each player searches through the brown starting Item cards and collects one “Adventurer’s Gear” and each starting item that has his hero’s icon on the top right-hand corner of the card. Place each starting item on the appropriate equipment space of the hero board (primary, secondary, armor, helm, or accessory).

c. Each player places a threat counter on the “0” space of the threat meter at the top of his hero board. Then, each player places a vitality counter on a space of the vitality meter according to his hero’s starting vitality, found his hero token, (plus 1 from the “Adventurer’s Gear”).

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d. Each player shuffles their hero deck, places it to the left of their hero board, then draws his starting hand of cards (normally five).

e. Each player finds his hero’s miniature and places it next to his hero board.

5. Create Treasure Bag: Place all white and green treasure tokens in an opaque container (referred to as the treasure bag). Set the blue treasure tokens off to the side.

6. Create Chapter Deck: Shuffle all chapter quest cards (those without the chain symbol) and starting chain chapter quest cards (with the single chain link symbol) together to create the chapter quest deck, and set it facedown near the play area. Set all other chained chapter quest cards (with the double chain link symbol) to the side, within reach of the chapter quest deck.

7. Choose Realm Tile: Find the realm tile shown and place it in the center of the play area.

8. Place Hero Figures: The players collectively choose one edge of the realm tile and each player places his hero figure in a space adjacent to the chosen edge.

Populating the Realm TilePlayers have some freedom on how they normally populate a realm tile. Each realm tile has a series of icons in the corner. These icons are collectively referred to as the tile legend, which contains the information needed to populate the tile. Many of these icons present the players with a choice that they decide on as a group. For more detailed information on realm tiles, see page XX. Players should follow these steps to populate the tile:

1. Draw a Chapter Quest: The players draw the top card of the chapter quest deck, resolve any necessary setup for the quest, and place it faceup near the realm tile.

2. Place Lairs: Place a grubber lair token on the realm tile so that it occupies at least one square of the purple highlighted area.

3. Place Lair Spawn: Place a number of grubber figures on the realm tile based on the number of players: 6 grubbers for 2 players, 7 grubbers for 3 players, 8 grubbers for 4 players, and 9 grubbers for 5 players. Each grubber figure must be placed in an unoccupied square adjacent to the lair.

4. Place Hunting Packs: The players decide whether or not they would like to add a hunting pack to the realm tile. If they choose not to, skip this step. If they choose to, place 1 crawler figure in an unoccupied square within the purple highlighted area. Then place 2 more crawler figures on the realm tile, each in an unoccupied square adjacent to the first. Players may add up to 5 more (a total of 8 figures) in this way, making sure that each crawler figure is placed in an unoccupied square adjacent to another crawler.

5. Set Treasure Limit: Collect six treasure counters and place them on the treasure tracker section of the darkness board.

The Game RoundA game of Myth is played over the course of several game rounds. Each game round consists of the cycle phase, the hero deck phase, and the refresh phase. These phases are briefly explained below and expanded upon in the appropriate sections found later in this book.

The Cycle PhaseThe cycle phase is where the bulk of the game takes place. It is broken up into two different cycles; the hero cycle and the darkness cycle. During the hero cycle, players play hero cards from the their hands to perform actions and reactions and move their heroes on the realm tile. If triggered, the darkness cycle interrupts the hero cycle and the darkness strikes back against the heroes. It should be noted that the darkness cycle does not always take place during the cycle phase, but it can also happen multiple times within the same cycle phase. However, the hero cycle always happens during each cycle phase.

The Hero CycleThe hero cycle is where the players control the heroes and work together to overcome the darkness. There is no specific turn order during the hero cycle, the players decide as a group the order in which each player may play a hero card or spend movement points (see page XX). This order can change at any time and a single player may play multiple hero cards before the next player acts. The only restriction is that a player must completely resolve the effects of the hero card he played before the next player may act. The hero cycle ends when each player has decided to pass. Ending the hero cycle also ends the cycle phase.

LoiteringIf the heroes do not collectively spend at least one AP during a hero cycle, they are considered to be loitering. If the heroes are loitering at the end of the hero cycle, place a treasure counter near the heroes’ play area. For each treasure counter collected this way, the maximum amount of treasure allowed by all tiles during an act is reduced by one.

Activating the DarknessHero cards have an action point (AP) cost associated with playing them (see page XX). Each time a hero card is played and resolved, the darkness meter on the darkness board is increased by an amount equal to the AP cost listed on the resolved hero card. If the darkness meter reaches the “6” space, the hero cycle is interrupted and the darkness activates. Players should keep track of any remaining AP, as it is added to the darkness meter after it is reset at the end of the darkness cycle.

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The Darkness CycleDuring the darkness cycle, players may have to draw a darkness card and activate enemy figures on the realm tile. This cycle can trigger during the hero cycle and the refresh phase. Unlike the hero cycle, the darkness cycle has a specific structure that must be resolved in order. A darkness cycle is resolved as follows:

1. Check Threat Range: Players check for any active enemies on the realm tile.

2. Draw Darkness Card: If there is at least one active monster-type on the realm tile, the players must draw and resolve a darkness card.

a. Event: Players must resolve the event at the top of the darkness card.

b. Threat Penalty: If a hero has a threat of 10, the players must resolve the threat penalty listed on the darkness card.

c. Activate Enemies: Players activate enemy figures on the realm tile in the order listed on the darkness card. When an enemy is activated, it may move and attack the heroes based on its priorities.

d. Spawn: If there are any lairs on the realm tile, the players must place additional enemy figures on the realm tile based on the spawn type listed on the darkness card.

After resolving these steps, the darkness cycle ends and the hero cycle (or refresh phase) continues. The darkness meter is set to “0” and then increased by an amount equal to any AP remaining from the source that activated the darkness.

The Hero Deck PhaseAfter all players have passed during the hero cycle and the cycle phase ends, the hero deck phase begins. During the hero deck phase, each player resolves the following steps in order:

1. Reduce Threat: Each player reduces his threat based on the number of empty action spaces on his hero board. Each action space that did not have a hero card played on it reduces that hero’s threat by 1.

2. Clear Action Spaces: Each player may choose any Ongiong cards in his action spaces to move to his discard pile. Then, he discards all other cards from the remaining action spaces.

3. Discard Cards: Each player may choose one hero card in his hand to keep and discards the rest.

4. Draw Cards: Each player draws hero cards up to his hand size (normally 5). If a player needs to draw a hero card and there are none remaining in his draw pile, he simply shuffles his discard pile and places it facedown to create a new draw pile.

The Refresh PhaseThe refresh phase is the last phase of the game round. During this phase, players resolve the following steps in order:

1. Darkness Meter: For each active monster-type, the darkness meter is increased by 1. If the darkness meter reaches “6,” the refresh phase is interrupted and a darkness cycle begins.

a. Darkness Cycle: Players resolve a darkness cycle as normal. After resolving the darkness cycle, the refresh phase continues on to the next step.

2. Activate Allies: If the heroes have an ally in play, it is activated during this step.

3. Quest Results: During this step, players resolve any effects pertaining to their current quest. This includes evaluating any objectives possibly met and reducing the number of hero cycles remaining for quests with a specified limit.

4. Status Results: If a hero or enemy is afflicted with a status effect, it is resolved at this time. If this results in a hero or enemy being defeated, the miniature is left on the realm tile until the cleanup step.

5. Trap Results: Any trap in play is activated during this step.

6. Cleanup: During this step, heroes may alter their equipped items and any defeated heroes are removed from the realm tile. In addition, any failed quest objectives are removed during this step.

CombatCombat is a very important part of Myth. This section details how heroes resolve combat, but many of the concepts presented are also used when activating enemies during the darkness cycle. For more information on enemy combat, see page XX. When resolving hero combat, the players resolve the following steps:

1. Play Hero Card(s): Heroes must play hero cards to attack. During this step, the player must choose which card or cards he wishes to play.

2. Choose Target(s): After playing a hero card, the player must choose the target or targets of the attack.

3. Form Dice Pool: The player determines his dice pool and collects the necessary dice.

4. Roll Dice Pool: The attacking player then rolls his dice pool and evaluates the results. If the attack misses, skip the rest of these steps.

5. Resolve Damage: If the attack hits, the attacking player deals damage to the target.

6. Remove Casualties: If any target is defeated, the attacking player removes them from the realm tile.

7. Drop Treasure: If the appropriate number or type of enemies are defeated during the attack, the attacking player places treasure during this step.

8. Adjust Threat and AP: Finally, the attacking hero raises his threat if necessary. In addition, the player increases the darkness meter based on the AP cost of the hero card played.

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Play Hero Card(s)A player must play a hero card in order to attack. Hero cards that allow a hero to perform an attack are marked with the Attack keyword. As with all hero cards, players must play these cards in open action spaces on their hero board. A hero may only play one action per hero cycle but may play as many reactions or interrupts for which he has open action spaces. If all action spaces are already occupied by hero cards, the player cannot play any more hero cards. For more information regarding hero cards, see page XX.

Choose Target(s)After playing a hero card, the player must choose a target for the attack. The target must be in line of sight of the attacking hero and within the range listed on the hero card. An attack must target an enemy figure. If an attack targets multiple squares, also known as an area of effect (AoE) attack, at least one affected square must be occupied by an enemy figure. If an attack card is played with no targets available, the attack cannot be performed.

Line of SightThe attacking figure must be able to “see” the target of the attack. Line of sight is determined by drawing an imaginary, straight line from any corner of the square occupied by the attacking hero to any corner of the target square. If the line passes through a blocked square, the attacking figure does not have line of sight. If the line does not pass through any blocked squares, the attacking figure does have line of sight.

• Blocks Hero Line of Sight: Enemies, lairs, red highlighted areas, and traps all block line of sight for heroes (except for the archer). If tracing line of sight through a square occupied by any of these, the hero does not have line of sight to the target.

• Does not Block Hero Line of Sight: Heroes, allies, blue highlighted areas, and treasure counters do not block line of sight for heroes.

RangeIn addition to being in line of sight, a target must also be within range of the attacking figure. The range of the attack is listed on the hero card and refers to the maximum number of squares away from the attacking figure that the target can be for the attack to be possible. When counting range between two figures, begin from the space adjacent to the starting figure and end on the space containing the target figure. Always count range using the shortest path between figures and you may count through occupied spaces.

Form Dice PoolEach attack is determined by the roll of a collection of dice, known as a dice pool. A hero’s dice pool is made up of both hit dice and fate dice. The number of dice a hero rolls for an attack is based on the dice pool listed on his hero token and additional dice can be added through equipped items and hero cards. It is also important to note that a player may have to remove dice from his dice pool due to status effects and other abilities.

Roll Dice PoolAfter collecting his dice pool, the attacking player rolls the pool and evaluates the results. Even if an attack targets multiple figures, only one dice pool is rolled for the attack. Hit dice and fate dice are resolved separately, starting with hit dice.

Hit DiceHit dice are ten-sided dice used to determine if an attack successfully hits its target. Each hit die with a result equal to or greater than the target number (TN) is considered a success. Regardless of the number of enemies targeted by an attack, each monster-type requires one success to hit all targets of that type. If a success is used for one monster-type, it cannot be used for another monster-type. If no successes are rolled, the attack misses and the remaining steps are not resolved.

Guaranteed Success and FailureThere may be situations where a roll may not be necessary because the success of failure is guaranteed. If the TN for a roll is 1 or lower, the player does not need to roll the dice pool and each die is treated as a success. If the TN for a roll is 11 or higher, the player does not need to roll the dice pool and each die is treated as a failure.

Fate DiceFate dice are custom six-sided dice used to trigger the special abilities listed on equipped items. Items have a fate recipe listed on the card, which shows the required fate dice result needed to trigger the ability. If the attack hits, the attacking player must spend a fate dice result from his dice pool matching an icon listed in the fate recipe to fulfill the icon. A single fate die result may only be spent once and each icon in the fate recipe must be fulfilled to complete the recipe. If a fate recipe is completed, the player triggers the corresponding ability. A player must spend fate dice results during an attack if able. If the player has multiple fate recipes to choose from, he may choose which of those fate recipes to fulfill.

Resolve DamageEach attack has a damage value associated with it. For heroes, an attack’s damage is listed on the hero card. If an attack successfully hits a target, the listed damage is dealt to the target. If an attack affects multiple targets, the damage is dealt to each target affected by the attack. A target cannot suffer damage greater than its vitality. If a target suffers damage that exceeds its vitality, the excess damage is ignored.

Friendly FireIn some cases a hero may occupy a square affected by another hero’s AoE attack. If this happens, the affected hero is automatically hit by the attack (the attacking hero does not use a success from his dice pool) and damage is resolved as normal.

Remove CasualtiesAfter resolving damage, each target with damage equal to its vitality is defeated. Remove all defeated enemies from the realm tile. If 3 or more minions are defeated during a single attack, treasure will drop (see below).

Attacks With MovementSome hero cards allow a hero to move through occupied squares and attack the enemies moved through. When resolving these types of attacks, the attacker does not move until after the attack is resolved. If the attacker fails to defeat a target during the attack, he cannot move through that square. The attacker must stop his movement along the movement path, in the square closest to his starting square and adjacent to the undefeated target.

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Drop TreasureSometimes defeated enemies will drop treasure in their squares. Placing treasure counters in this way is referred to as “dropping” treasure. Listed below are a number of ways in which treasure can drop:

• Every third minion defeated in a single attack

• Each captain defeated

• Each mini-boss defeated

• Each lair destroyed

Normally when treasure drops, a treasure counter is moved from the darkness board to the square on the realm tile that was occupied by the defeated target. If there are no treasure counters left on the darkness board, treasure cannot drop. If the defeated target occupies multiple squares, the attacking player may choose in which square the treasure drops. If a treasure would drop into a square that prevents movement (such as a read highlighted area), it drops into the closest available space of the attacking player’s choice.

Adjust ThreatThe final step of a hero attack is to adjust the hero’s threat. For each damage dealt during an attack, the hero’s threat meter is raised by one. It is important to note that the hero only raises his threat for damage actually dealt to targets during the attack, not potential damage. Any potential damage in excess of a target’s vitality is ignored during the attack and does not raise the hero’s threat.

Status EffectsSome attacks can cause lingering conditions if the target is hit. These conditions are called status effects and many of them are resolved during the refresh phase. The various status effects that can afflict heroes and enemies are listed below:

• Capture X: This restricts a hero from acting during the hero cycle unless the player discards a number of hero cards from his hand equal to X.

• Curse: This reduces a player’s hand size by 1. If the player has a number of cards in his hand greater than his hand size, he must discard excess cards during the status results step of the refresh phase.

• Frozen: This reduces a player’s available actions spaces by 1. If a player has a hero card in an unavailable action space during the status results of the refresh phase, he must discard that card. The unavailable action space does not reduce threat in the hero deck phase.

• Poison: This is a damage-over-time effect, dealing the target 1 damage during the status results of the refresh phase. This effect lasts until cleared.

• Prone: The affected target cannot activate. For heroes, this means that the player cannot play cards or move during the hero cycle. For enemies, this means that the enemy cannot activate during the darkness cycle.

Figures afflicted with a status effect can be marked with the appropriate status effect token when necessary. In the case of a hero, the token is placed in the status section of the hero board. For other figures, the token can be placed near the affected figure. If a status effect is cleared by a hero card potion, or other effect, return the token to the supply and the figure is no longer affected by the status. While there are ways for heroes to clear them, all status effects are cleared at the end of an act.

Damage Over TimeSome attacks inflict a damage-over-time (DoT) effect, which continually does damage to the target during the status results step of the refresh phase. These DoT effects represent many different types of damage, such as poison or fire. A DoT caused by a hero card lists the number of refresh phases it stays in effect. A DoT caused by the darkness usually stays in effect until cleared.

Courage TestsHeroes and enemies may occasionally be required to roll a courage test. To resolve a courage test for a hero, that hero rolls his base dice pool along with any bonus dice provided by hero cards or items. If at least one hit die result is equal to or greater than the hero’s courage value, found on his hero token, the test is passed. To resolve a courage test for enemies, that enemy rolls 1 hit die. If the hit die result is equal to or greater than the enemy’s courage value, the test is passed.

HeroesHeroes are the players’ avatars in Myth. Though each separate hero class plays very differently from the others, they are all comprised of similar elements: a hero board, a hero token, a deck of hero cards, and a miniature. Each player uses these elements to control his hero throughout the game. This section details the various rules needed for players to understand these elements.

The Hero BoardEach player uses a hero board to keep track of his hero’s threat, inventory, status effects, equipped items, vitality, and action spaces. The hero board is placed in front of a player and makes up his play area.

Hero TokenEach hero has a hero token, which lists the hero’s important information. The top of the token shows the hero class name and icon, as well as the hero’s starting dice pool. The bottom of the token shows the hero’s fate icon, base movement, starting vitality, and courage. In addition, each hero token has an empty space for the hero’s active title (if he has earned one).

Hero CardsA hero is defined by a deck of hero cards. These cards represent the attacks and abilities available to the hero. The only thing a hero can do during a hero cycle without playing a hero card is move a number of squares on the realm tile equal to the hero’s base movement. To move additional squares or perform attacks, the player must play hero cards.

Hero cards are played in open action spaces on the hero board and are broken up into three types; actions, reactions, and interrupts. If the hero has no open action spaces, he cannot play any more hero cards. In addition, heroes are limited to only one action per hero cycle. They may play as many reactions or interrupts as they have open action spaces. When playing a card labeled as both action and reaction, the player may choose to play it either as an action or reaction. Interrupt cards may only be played during the darkness cycle.

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KeywordsMost hero cards have keywords associated with them. These keywords are listed in bold before the card ability text, and each keyword is separated by a comma. Many of these keywords have rules associated with them and others are simply traits that are referenced by other cards. When a keyword is referenced within a given card’s ability description text, the card is not considered to have that referenced keyword unless it is printed in bold above the ability text. Listed below are rules for various keywords found in the base game. Future releases introducing new keywords will have the rules included.

• Ammo: This card represents ammunition, which is required to use ranged weapons during an Attack. When a player readies an Ammo card, it is removed from the action space and placed above his hero board.

• Attack: This defines the card as an attack, in which the hero attempts to deal damage to a target.

• Combo: When the brigand plays one or more Combo cards, he resolves all Combo cards played before determining whether or not he loses Shadows.

• Counterattack: This is an interrupt card that allows the hero to attack a target as specified by the card.

• Faith: These cards are used to increase the effectiveness of many of the Acolyte’s cards. Each card with the Faith keyword, and each facedown card on top of a Pray card, counts as 1 Faith.

• Focus: This card (usually an Attack) can use bonuses from an equipped focus.

• Heal: This card restores vitality to one or more heroes.

• Massive: This card (usually an Attack) has the potential to deal 3 or more damage to the target.

• Melee: This card (usually an Attack) can use bonuses from an equipped melee weapon.

• Move: This card grants the hero additional movement points, and the hero is considered to be using aggressive movement.

• Ongoing: This card stays in play until the hero decides to discard it.

• Rage: This card is treated as 1 Rage. Facedown hero cards in the Soldier’s action spaces are also treated as Rage. The Soldier may add Rage at any time by moving the top card of his hero deck into an open action space. The card must be kept facedown and hero cards cannot be played in that action space.

• Ranged: This card (usually an Attack) can use bonuses from an equipped ranged weapon.

• Relic: This card (usually an Attack) can use bonuses from an equipped relic.

• Shadows X: This card allows the brigand to gain Shadows X, where X is the TN required for enemy notice checks. If an enemy begins its activation adjacent to a brigand while in Shadows, the enemy makes a notice check. If the check is failed, the brigand stays in Shadows. If the check is successful, the brigand loses Shadows. While in Shadows, the brigand is ignored when determining enemy priority and cannot be targeted by enemy attacks. In addition, the brigand may only use cautious movement while in Shadows.

• Shield: This card (usually an Attack) can use bonuses from an equipped shield.

Hero PlayDuring the hero cycle, each hero has the opportunity to act. When acting with a hero, a player has the following options:

• Play up to 1 action

• Play any number of reactions

• Move his hero 1 square for each movement point the hero has available

As stated earlier, there is no set order in which heroes must act. Players may discuss strategies and decide as a group which hero acts in which order. A player is not required to finish acting with his hero before another player acts, but he is required to completely resolve any hero cards played.

Hero MovementDuring the hero cycle, a hero may move a number of squares up to his available movement. Each hero has a base movement value of two, which means the hero has two movement points (MP) to spend in each hero cycle. A hero’s base movement can be modified by equipment or status effects, and this determines the hero’s normal movement. The total number of MP a hero spends during the hero cycle determines the hero’s movement type. Listed below of the four different types of hero movement:

• No Movement: The hero does not spend any MP.

• Cautious Movement: The hero spends a number of MP up to half (rounded up) of his normal movement.

• Normal Movement: The hero spends a number of MP equal to his normal movement.

• Aggressive Movement: The hero spends a number of MP greater than his normal movement. This is usually a result of playing a Move card.

For each movement point a hero spends, he may move to any adjacent unoccupied square (diagonally or orthogonally). Unless stated specifically otherwise, a hero cannot move into a square occupied by another hero or an enemy.

Movement ModifiersEach hero card has a list of movement modifiers shown as icons on the left hand side of the card. These icons determine any bonuses or penalties applied to the type of movement used by the hero during that hero cycle. Once a hero chooses a movement type modifier on a played hero card, the hero is locked into that movement type for the hero cycle. If a movement type icon is faded out on a hero card, that card cannot be played if the hero is using that movement type. Also, any movement type listed as “No” on any action or reaction card in a hero’s action spaces, prevents the hero from using that movement type.

It is important to note that movement modifiers on interrupt cards only apply to movement types during the darkness cycle. Unless a hero card allows a hero to spend MP during the darkness cycle, that hero is considered to be using no movement.

Picking up TreasureIf a hero is in a square with one or more treasure counters, he may spend MP to pick up treasure. For each MP spent, he may pick up one treasure counter in his square. When a hero picks up treasure, the player discards the treasure counter from the realm tile, draws a token from the treasure bag, draws a corresponding item card, and returns the treasure token to the treasure bag.

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Non-Combat ActionsThere are various actions the heroes can attempt without playing a hero card. These actions are referred to as non-combat actions. If a quest requires the heroes to interact with a realm object or quest token, the hero must be in a square adjacent to the object or token and perform a non-combat action. To perform a non-combat action, a hero must spend 1 MP. Many non-combat actions, such as disarming traps, may have a TN associated with them. If a non-combat action has a TN, the hero must roll his base dice pool along with any bonus dice provided by hero cards or items.

Defeated HeroesIf a hero’s vitality is ever reduce to zero, that hero is defeated. A defeated hero is not removed from the game until the cleanup step of the refresh phase. This gives the players the chance to save that hero using serendipity (see page XX). If a defeated hero is removed from the game, that hero is considered to be dead. Any quest items carried by the defeated hero are given to another hero of his choice. Dead heroes do not receive any rewards from quests completed while they are dead. A dead hero is resurrected at the end of an act, after the surviving heroes receive their rewards. If all heroes are defeated, the players record the game state as if it were the end of an adventure act (see page XX) and any quests they are currently attempting are considered to be failed.

The DarknessThe darkness represents the enemies, events, and traps working against the heroes. No player controls the darkness, it is controlled by the game itself. If there are any number of active enemies during the darkness cycle, players draw and resolve a darkness card and activate enemies. To determine if any enemies are active, players must check threat range at the start of the darkness cycle.

Check Threat RangeThreat range represents a specific number of squares away from an enemy. If a hero is within threat range of an enemy, the enemy is considered to be active. Each enemy has a threat range listed on its corresponding monster card. To check threat range, choose one enemy and follow these steps:

1. Choose one hero.

2. Refer to the threat range listed on the chosen enemy’s monster card and the chosen hero’s current threat.

3. Add these numbers together to determine the total threat range.

4. Count the range between the chosen enemy and the chosen hero.

5. If the range is equal to or less than the total threat range, the enemy is active and players can skip the next step.

6. If the range is greater than the total threat range, repeat these steps for each other hero. If all heroes have been checked and the enemy has not become active, the enemy is considered to be inactive.

Each enemy belongs to a specific monster-type, as listed on its monster card. If an enemy becomes active, all enemies of the same monster-type are considered active as well. Active enemies will activate during the darkness cycle, inactive enemies will not. Once an enemy becomes active, it stays active for the remainder of the game. If no enemies are active, a darkness card is not drawn and the darkness cycle ends.

It is important to note another way for enemies to become active. If an enemy is targeted or affected by a hero attack, that enemy becomes active regardless of whether or not a hero is within total threat range during the darkness cycle. This means that all enemies of the attacked enemy’s monster-type also become active.

Resolve EventIf a darkness card is drawn, the first thing players do is resolve the event listed at the top of the card. Events are specific occurrences that if the conditions are met, then a bad thing happens. These if/then statements create unpredictable situations that force the heroes to react to a changing environment.

Threat PenaltyIf a hero has a current threat of 10, the players must resolve the threat penalty listed on the darkness card. Many of these affect the remainder of the act and make the game much harder for the heroes. There are events that can trigger a threat penalty even if a hero has less than 10 threat. This makes it very important for the heroes to pay careful attention to their threat at all times.

Activate EnemiesThe majority of the darkness cycle involves activating enemies. When activating enemies, players follow these steps in order:

1. Order: Players determine the order of activation.

2. Enemy Movement: Players move each enemy based on its priority.

3. Enemy Attacks: Players resolve each enemy’s attack.

Each step is resolved for each enemy in order of activation before moving on to the next step. For example, all enemies should be moved before any enemy attacks.

OrderThe order in which enemies are activated during the darkness cycle is known as the order of activation. The darkness card lists the order of activation by enemy rank; minions, captains, mini-bosses, and bosses. The order of activation within each rank is determined by the monster-type’s classification. Once established by the darkness card drawn, the order of activation remains the same throughout the darkness cycle.

Monster ClassificationEach enemy has a classification assigned to it. This classification determines when the enemy is activated during the darkness cycle. In addition, it defines how the enemy moves when activated. These are the three different monster classifications:

• Instinct: These enemies activate first. When moving, they stop in the first available square in which they can attack any target.

• Intellect: These enemies activate after instinct enemies. When moving, these enemies use as much MP as they can, while still ending in a position to attack their target. They leave room for other enemies of the same monster-type.

• Undead: These enemies activate last. Otherwise, they function just like instinct enemies with one exception: minions have a chance to resurrect if defeated.

If there are multiple monster-types with the same classification, refer to the enemy’s threat range. The enemy with the highest threat range activates first, followed by the next highest and so on.

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Enemy MovementAfter determining the order of activation, players must move enemies in the established order. Enemy movement is based on the enemy’s priority, which is listed on its monster card. Priority refers to the order in which an enemy chooses its target. It is used to determine movement and to make decisions during occasions where there are multiple available targets.

Priority is broken down into a list where players start at the top and work their way down, until a single target is identified. There may be occasions when the third priority doesn’t define a single target. In these situations, the fourth and fifth priorities are:

• Least vitality

• Player choice

After establishing priority, players move each enemy based on the order of activation. An enemy moves a number of squares up to its listed movement, spending one MP per square moved. Enemies that occupy more than one square still only move one square per MP. Enemies can move orthogonally and diagonally, but cannot enter an occupied square. Remember to note how an enemy’s classification will affect how it moves.

Enemies always move into a position to attack a hero if possible. If the enemy cannot move into a position to attack its target (based on priority), it instead moves into a position to attack the next available hero.

Minion Group MovementEnemies are usually moved individually. In the case of a group of minions of the same monster-type adjacent to each other, the minions are moved together as a minion group. When moving a minion group, the players choose the minion closest to a hero. The chosen minion is referred to as the scout and moves first towards its target. After moving the scout, all minions adjacent to the scout’s starting square are moved towards the same target.

Enemy TacticsEnemies with melee (M) attacks always more towards their target. In addition, any melee minion already adjacent to a target will not move away. However, if the enemy is intelligent, it can still move to another space adjacent to the target to make room for other enemies. If forced to move away, for any reason, it is not considered to be a scout and adjacent minions will not follow.

Enemies with ranged (R) attacks do not always move towards their target. When moving a ranged enemy into a position to attack, it moves towards the square furthest away from the target that is still within line of sight and range of the enemy’s attack.

Enemy AttacksAfter all enemies have moved, players must resolve attacks for each enemy in position to attack. Enemy attacks are resolved in the order of activation and follow many of the same combat steps used when resolving hero attacks. When resolving enemy attacks, players perform the following steps in order for each enemy in position to attack:

1. Determine Target(s): Players determine the target of the attack based on the enemy’s priorities. Some enemy attacks can affect multiple targets.

2. Form Dice Pool: The players determine the enemy’s dice pool and collects the necessary dice. The dice pool for an enemy’s attack is listed on its corresponding card. Other abilities may add or subtract dice from this pool. This dice pool usually consists of hit dice, as fate dice are not rolled until the attack is determined to be successful.

3. Roll Dice Pool: The players then choose one player to roll the enemy’s dice pool and evaluate the results. Each die result equal to or greater than the enemy attacks’ TN is considered a success and the attack hits. If no successes are rolled, the attack misses and players may skip the next step.

4. Resolve Damage: If the attack hits, the enemy deals damage to the target.

SpawnThe final step to resolve during the darkness cycle is to spawn enemies. Players only resolve the spawn step if there is at least one lair in play. When resolving the spawn step, players spawn enemies from each lair in play based on the spawn type listed on the darkness card. Each lair is associated with a specific monster-type that it spawns.

Spawned monsters are placed in squares adjacent to the lair if possible. Melee monsters are spawned first, followed by ranged monsters. When spawned, they are placed in the best possible position to attack the heroes. Melee monsters are placed as close to a target matching their priority as possible. Ranged monsters are placed in range to attack but as far away from the target as possible. Follow these guidelines when spawning:

Melee monsters (first)

• adjacent to the lair

• closest square available nearest to the lair

• as close to a target as possible

• if there is more than one target, refer to that monster’s priority

Ranged monsters (second)

• adjacent to the lair

• closest square available nearest to the lair

• as far away as possible from the target, while in range to attack

• if there is more than one target, refer to that monster’s priority

If players ever need to spawn enemies and do not have enough miniatures to spawn those enemies, the darkness meter is increased depending on the number and rank of missing enemies. For every three minion miniatures missing, increase the darkness AP by 1. For each other rank of miniatures missing, increase the darkness AP by 1.

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Spawn TypesThere are many different spawn types in Myth. This list represents the spawn types available in the base game and several early supplements. However, this is not a comprehensive list and it will continue to grow as the game does. Normal and heavy spawns are detailed on the minion’s monster card. The exact numbers and details for the other spawn types are listed on the darkness cards.

• Normal: Players refer to the monster card for spawn information.

• Aggressive: Players resolve a normal spawn. Then, after the minions are placed, they immediately activate.

• Focused: Players resolve a normal spawn. Then, the darkness meter is increased by 2 AP.

• Heavy: Players refer to the monster card for spawn information.

• Deadly: This type spawns captains instead of minions.

• Sacrifice: Players resolve a normal spawn. However, for each minion that would be placed, the lair restores 1 vitality instead. If the lair is not damaged, the remaining spawned minions are placed.

• Terrifying: This spawns a mini-boss instead of minions.

• Mystic: Players resolve a normal spawn. Then, each hero must discard all Ongoing cards in play.

• Pacifying: Players resolve a normal spawn. Then, the soldier must reduce all Rage to zero. Cards in his action spaces are not discarded.

• Ill-Fated: Players resolve a normal spawn. Then, each player must discard a random card from his hand.

• Shadow: Players resolve a normal spawn. However, spawned minions are placed adjacent to heroes (based on priority) instead of adjacent to the lair.

• Paranoid: Players resolve a normal spawn. Then, each hero gains 4 threat.

• Intelligent: Players resolve a normal spawn. However, all spawned minions must be ranged (if available).

• Explosive: Each hero adjacent to the lair is dealt damage as listed on the darkness card. Then, the lair is destroyed and no treasure drops. Finally, place 10 minions in the closest available squares, starting with the squares formerly occupied by the lair.

• Rowdy: Players resolve a normal spawn. However, all spawned minions must be melee (if available).

• Reinforcing: Players resolve a normal spawn. In addition, 4 minions are placed along the tile edge closest to a hero.

LairsEach monster-type has a lair type associated with it and that lair type must be in play in order for that monster-type to spawn. Lairs are placed on realm tiles, either through specific quest requirements or player choice. Lairs are considered to be realm objects. However, they can be targeted and affected by attacks and have both a vitality and a defense value. Regardless of the type, lairs have a vitality of 5 and a defense of 3. When a lair is reduced to 0 vitality, it is destroyed and removed from the realm tile. A destroyed lair drops treasure in one of the squares it occupied. If a destroyed lair occupied squares into which a hero could not move, the treasure is dropped in the closest available square of the players’ choice.

BossesBosses are very powerful enemies and usually only appear during a story quest. These enemies are much more difficult than minions and captains. Most bosses have multiple attacks and special abilities. Bosses do not have a threat range as they are always considered to be active while in play. The number of AP a boss adds to the darkness meter during the refresh phase is listed on its card.

When activating a boss, players roll the fate dice listed in the special section on the boss card. Then, the boss will trigger any fate recipes starting with the bottom of the boss card and working up. These fate recipes are fulfilled the same way heroes trigger fate recipes on items. Some of these fate recipes affect the boss’ attacks. After triggering fate recipes, the boss performs all of its attacks starting from the top of the boss card and working down.

Some bosses have multiple stages, and each stage is represented by its own boss card. These bosses start on “Stage 1” and, after being reduced to zero vitality, move on to the next stage. Once the heroes defeat the final stage, the boss is defeated and removed from play.

[Insert boss difficulty graphic.]

Darkness CardsEach boss has a corresponding darkness deck that is tailored towards that boss. At the start of the game, players may choose which darkness deck to use. Players may also choose to combine darkness decks if they want a greater challenge.

Mini-BossesMini-bosses are more powerful than minions and captains, but not as dangerous as bosses. These enemies function very much like bosses, but can appear more often (sometimes placed as a result of a darkness card). Unlike bosses, mini-bosses have a threat range and only increase the darkness meter by 1 during the refresh phase if the mini-boss is active.

AgentsAgents are unique enemies that function very much like mini-bosses, with one major difference. When an agent is defeated, they do not drop treasure. Instead, the heroes gain access to an agent ability in the form of a hero card. One hero may choose to add that card to his hero deck (without removing an existing card) immediately.

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The RealmThe realm refers to the tiles that make up the center of the play area where the game takes place. The tiles that make up the realm are referred to as realm tiles. Each realm tile is marked with a legend that contains the information needed to populate the tile when the first hero enters. Some realm tiles have a number of squares grouped together with a colored line. The group of squares has specific rules assigned to it depending on the color of the line surrounding it.

• Blue Realm Lines: These squares cannot normally be moved through.

• Red Realm Lines: These squares cannot normally be moved through and block LoS.

• Purple Realm Lines: These squares are used when setting up realm tiles.

Choosing a Realm TileAt the start of a game session and each time a hero moves off the edge of a realm tile, the players must travel to a realm tile. Unless playing a story quest, players may choose which realm tile they travel to. The size of the realm tile is based on the number of squares printed on the tile. There are three sizes of realm tiles: 4x6, 6x6, and 12x12. These three sizes of tiles can be combined to create three sizes of combined realm tiles: 6x12, 4x12, and 24x12. When choosing a combined realm tile, players ignore the individual legends on each realm tile and instead reference the combined realm tile legend matching the corresponding combined realm tile size (on page XX).

Placing a Realm TileAfter choosing a realm tile, players must place it. If this is the first tile placed at the start of the game session, the tile may be placed however the players wish and they choose a side on which to place their heroes. If the tile is to be placed next to a realm tile in play, it must be placed along an edge in which the heroes did not enter. If the chosen realm tile is a combined realm tile, both tiles must be placed together as one tile. Each realm tile has alignment arrows printed along the tile edges. When placing a realm tile, either the arrows on both tiles must align or at least one alignment arrow on the tile being placed must be between the alignment arrows of the tile in play. In addition, the squares printed on the tiles must line up correctly.

Populating a Realm TileEach realm tile has a legend printed in the corner of the tile. In the case of a combined realm tile, the legend is listed separately in the rulebook. The realm tile legend is comprised of various icons, which players use to populate the realm tile when it is first placed. Players resolve these icons in order from left to right to determine which elements are used for the realm tile. Many of the elements present choices to the players.

An icon in the realm tile legend represents an element required for the tile. If there is a circle on the lower right portion of the icon, it means that the element is variable. The number in the circle represents the maximum of that type of element allowed on the tile. If there is a question mark in the circle, it means that the element is not required to be placed but can be if the players choose.

• Quest: Players must draw a chapter quest card. If playing a story quest, players may choose to skip this element.

• Trap: This means there is a trap on the realm tile. Players roll a fate die to determine what type of trap to set up (see page XX).

• Lair: This means there may be one or more lairs placed on the realm tile.

• Hunting Pack: This means there may be one or more hunting packs on the realm tile.

• Treasure Limit: This represents the treasure limit of the realm tile.

• Gold: This is the amount of gold the heroes receive after clearing the tile.

• Merchant: This means the heroes will draw a merchant card after clearing the tile.

• Gold Hoard: This means the heroes will resolve a gold hoard after clearing the tile.

• Treasure Hoard: This means the heroes will resolve a treasure hoard after clearing the tile.

• Mini-Boss: This means there is a mini-boss on the realm tile.

Drawing a Chapter QuestIf a realm tile legend contains a quest icon, the first thing players do is draw a chapter quest card. The only exception to this is if the players are playing a story quest. While on a story quest, players have the choice of whether or not they wish to draw a chapter quest card. Many chapter quest cards have setup rules that may require specific elements to be placed on the realm tile. These required elements count toward the requirements listed in the realm tile legend, and are not added to them. For example, if a chapter quest requires a lair to be placed and there is a lair icon in the realm tile legend, players can ignore the legend because the lair has already been fulfilled by the chapter quest card.

Placing LairsIf a realm tile contains a lair, it must be placed on the tile so that it occupies at least one square within an area outlined by a purple line. When placing a lair, players may ignore red and blue lines. The only stipulation is that heroes must be able to attack the lair. Unless specified otherwise by a quest, players may choose which type of lair to place on the tile.

When lairs are placed on the realm tile, they are placed with a a number of minions referred to as the initial spawn. The initial spawn is based on the type of lair and the number of heroes. The placement of these minions follows the same rules used when spawning (see page XX).

[Insert initial spawn table.]

Hunting PacksA hunting pack is a group of minions belonging to a single monster-type. Unless specified otherwise by a quest, players may choose the monster-type of each hunting pack. The hunting pack monster-type does not need to be the same as any other hunting pack or lair on the tile. However, they can all belong to the same monster-type if the players wish.

Players choose the number of minions in each hunting pack, with a minimum of three and a maximum of eight. When placing a hunting pack, the first minion must be placed in a square within an area outlined by a purple line. The remaining minions of that hunting pack must be placed adjacent to the first. If a realm tile does not have any purple lines, the first minion must be placed at least 4 spaces away from the heroes and the remaining minions placed adjacent to the first.

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Treasure LimitThe treasure limit indicates the maximum number of treasure drops that may occur on the realm tile. Players place a number of treasure counters equal to the treasure limit on the treasure section of the darkness board. Each time treasure drops, one treasure counter is moved from the darkness board and placed into the square where it dropped on the realm tile. If there are no treasure counters remaining on the darkness board, no more treasure can drop. This limit may be reduced as a result of the heroes loitering (see page XX).

Gold and Treasure HoardsHoards only appear on combined realm tiles and are only resolved after a realm tile is cleared. The rewards for gold hoards and treasure hoards are different, but they are resolved the same. After a tile is cleared, each surviving hero rolls one fate die and refers to the tables below.

[Insert gold hoard and treasure hoard tables.]

Realm ObjectsRealm objects are tokens representing various types of terrain and features. Unless specified otherwise by a quest, players may choose whether or not to add any number realm objects to the realm tile. Many realm object tokens have squares and may be moved on. If a realm object has a colored line, it follows the same rules as colored lines on realm tiles.

Leaving a Realm TileIf a hero is in a square adjacent to the edge of a realm tile and he has at least 1 MP to spend, he may choose to leave the tile. A hero cannot leave a realm tile from the same edge through which he entered. In the case of the first realm tile of an act, the heroes are considered to have entered through the edge to which they are placed adjacent. When a hero chooses to leave a realm tile, the next tile must be placed and populated before the hero may enter it. To enter the new tile, a hero simply has to move from a square along the edge of one tile to an adjacent square along the edge of the other tile at the cost of 1 MP.

Clearing a Realm TileIf there are no enemies, traps, or lairs remaining on a realm tile, the tile is considered to be cleared. When a realm tile is cleared, players resolve the following steps:

1. Each hero reduces his threat to zero.

2. Remove all treasure counters from the realm tile. For each treasure counter removed from the realm tile, the heroes gain 1 gold.

3. Remove all treasure counters from the darkness board.

4. If the tile has a gold value in the legend, the heroes receive that amount of gold.

5. If the tile has a merchant in the legend, the heroes draw and resolve a merchant card.

In addition to these steps, each hero who begins the hero cycle on a cleared tile has his base MP doubled. After all heroes have moved off of a cleared realm tile, it may be removed from the play area. If an enemy ever moves onto a cleared tile, it is no longer considered to be cleared until all enemies on the tile are defeated.

Abandoning a Realm TileIf the heroes ever leave a realm tile that has not been cleared, the realm tile is considered to be abandoned. The following rules apply to abandoned realm tiles:

• Remove all treasure counters from the realm tile and darkness board.

• Heroes immediately fail any chapter quest associated with the abandoned tile.

• As soon as the last hero leaves an abandoned realm tile, any traps in play on that tile are removed. The heroes do not receive any rewards associated with disarming the trap.

• The abandoned realm tile is not removed from the play area. In addition, all future realm tiles must stay in play for the remainder of the act.

TrapsTraps are hazards the heroes encounter on certain realm tiles. When the heroes enter a realm tile with a trap, one player rolls a fate die and refers to the trap section on the darkness board. The combination of the fate die result and realm tile size determines the type of trap encountered on that tile. Traps activate during the refresh phase and affects both heroes and enemies.

Disarming TrapsHeroes may attempt to disarm traps to neutralize the danger and receive any associate reward. In order to attempt to disarm a trap, a hero must perform a non-combat action. The TN associated with a trap is detailed in each trap’s description. If a trap is successfully disarmed, it is removed from the realm tile and the heroes receive the reward listed in the trap’s description.

[Insert trap descriptions and diagrams.]

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ItemsEach hero board has a number of equipment slots and an inventory slot. These slots are used to equip and store item cards. Each equipment slot can hold one item card, which represents that item being equipped by the hero. Each item card has a slot icon that denotes in which slot it must be equipped. Any item cards that cannot be equipped are placed facedown in the hero’s inventory. There is no limit to the number of item cards a hero may store in his inventory. Heroes may adjust their equipped items during the cleanup step of the refresh phase.

Item DecksItems are separated into individual decks based on their rarity. These decks also define how the item cards are used.

• Brown: These items are referred to as starting gear. Heroes begin the game with the starting items that have their class icon in the upper right corner. All heroes begin the game with Adventurer’s Gear as well. These items cannot be sold and are always available to the hero with the matching class icon. Any brown items not in use are returned to the box.

• White: These items represent common treasure, such as gold and potions. When a hero draws a white item card, he takes the corresponding token, places it in his inventory, and shuffles the item card back into the deck. The card lists the rules on how the token may be used.

• Green: These items represent useful equipment that heroes can begin finding early in the game.

• Blue: These items represent unique and powerful equipment. Since there are no blue treasure tokens in the treasure bag at the start of the game, heroes will not find many blue items right away.

Quest ItemsSome items may only be acquired through specific quests. Any item card with a quest icon in the upper right corner is not shuffled into an item deck. It is set aside until called for specifically by a quest.

Attacking With ItemsMost hero cards with the Attack keyword also list a keyword that matches a keyword on an item, such as Melee or Relic. When performing an attack, a hero may choose one of his equipped item with a keyword matching a keyword listed on the hero card providing the attack. If the hero has multiple items equipped with keywords matching those listed on the hero card, he may choose only one of those equipped items to use. The dice listed after “Attack:” on the chosen item card are added to the attacking hero’s dice pool for that attack.

Fate RecipesIn addition to bonus dice, many items have special abilities tied to specific fate die results. These are known as fate recipes and can be triggered when the item is used during an attack. If during an attack, a hero has fate dice results matching those listed in a fate recipe, the hero must resolve that fate recipe effect. While multiple fate recipes may be triggered during a single attack, heroes always attempt to fulfill the recipe with the most required fate die results first. A single fate die result cannot be used to trigger multiple fate recipes. Once a fate die result is used on one recipe, it cannot be used again.

Some fate recipes instruct the hero to resolve the effect as if were a specific hero card. When resolving these abilities, the hero refers to the specifically named hero card and resolves the effect of that card’s text. When resolving a hero card this way, the hero ignores the movement modifiers and AP listed on the card.

Trading ItemsHeroes may trade items between themselves at any time as long as the heroes are adjacent to each other. The only exception is that heroes on a clear tile can trade items between each other regardless of if they are adjacent to each other or not. When a hero receives a traded item, it must be placed in his inventory and may only be equipped during the cleanup step of the refresh phase.

MerchantsMerchant cards allow heroes to buy and sell items. These cards are typically drawn as a result of clearing a tile. Each merchant has a specific inventory and sells only one of each item listed. When the merchant lists a specific item, the buy value is listed with it. If the merchant lists a draw from a certain item deck, players should refer to the buy value on the item card itself. The buy and sell prices are listed in the bottom right corner of the item cards, where the number on the left is the buy value and the number on the right is the sell value.

To buy an item, the heroes must discard a number of gold tokens equal to the listed value, search the appropriate item deck for the card, take it, and shuffle the item deck. To sell an item, the heroes receive a number of gold tokens equal to the sell value listed on the item card and shuffle the sold item back into the appropriate item deck. When a hero buys a potion from a merchant, the hero takes the corresponding token and places it in his inventory.

When heroes are done buying and selling items, the merchant card is discarded. Merchant cards are reshuffled at the end of the current act.

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SerendipitySerendipity is a shared resource the heroes can gain throughout the game. It is tracked with serendipity tokens and the heroes may choose, as a group, to spend them during the game to trigger various effects. If the timing is not listed in an effect’s description, the heroes may trigger it at any time. Each effect has a serendipity cost associated with it, and the heroes must discard that number of serendipity tokens to trigger that effect. All serendipity is lost at the end of an adventure act or story quest, so heroes are encouraged to use it.

[Insert serendipity table.]

1 SerendipityIf the heroes choose to spend 1 serendipity, they may choose one of the following effects:

• Draw 2 Treasure Tokens: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect after a hero draws a treasure token from the treasure bag to draw two additional tokens. The hero chooses one of the tokens to resolve and returns the rest to the bag.

• Add 2 Fate Dice: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect after a hero rolls dice to allow that hero to roll 2 additional fate dice. This effect cannot be used when resolving a heroic event (see below).

• Add 2 a to Non-combat Actions: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect after a hero rolls dice for a non-combat action to roll 2 additional a.

• Talek Three Dunes: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect if there are no active enemies or traps on the realm tile to resolve the Talek Three Dunes merchant card.

2 SerendipityIf the heroes choose to spend 2 serendipity, they may choose one of the following effects:

• Add 2 a to Hit: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect before a hero rolls dice to add 2 a to that hero’s dice pool.

• Extend Quest Timer: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect to extend the current quest timer by 1 additional hero cycle.

• Manipulate Darkness Deck: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect to look at the top two cards of the darkness deck. Then, place one of the cards on top and the other on the bottom.

3 SerendipityIf the heroes choose to spend 3 serendipity, they may choose one of the following effects:

• Heroic Event: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect to roll 1 fate die and resolve the effect corresponding to the fate die result (see below).

• Call to Arms: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect to summon one available ally to the current realm tile. The rules for allies are explained below.

4 SerendipityIf the heroes choose to spend 4 serendipity, they may choose one of the following effects:

• Ignore Darkness Event: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect after drawing a darkness card to ignore the event. The rest of the darkness card is resolved as normal.

• Resurrect: The heroes may choose to trigger this effect to bring a dead hero back into the game. The resurrected hero immediately restores half of his vitality (rounded up) and is placed on the realm tile in a square of his choice.

Heroic EventsIf the heroes choose to trigger a heroic event, one player must roll one fate die. Each fate die result corresponds to a unique effect that is resolved if that result is rolled.

[Insert heroic event results.]

AlliesAllies are unique characters who can be earned by the heroes through quests. After the heroes have gained access to an ally, they may choose to summon that ally through the call to arms serendipity effect. When summoned, the ally joins the heroes on their current realm tile. As soon as that realm tile is cleared or abandoned, the ally is removed from play. However, that ally is still available to be summoned again later by triggering another call to arms serendipity event.

While in play, allies activate during the refresh phase and are controlled by the hero players. When activated, an ally can move and perform the attack listed on its card. Allies can also be targeted and affected by enemy attacks. The defense value listed on the ally card modifies any enemy attack targeting that ally. Each ally also has a threat value which is used when determining enemy priority. If an ally is ever reduced to zero vitality, the ally is defeated and immediately removed from play. Any defeated ally is still available to be summoned again later by triggering another call to arms serendipity event.

QuestsMyth is a robust game system and may be played in three different game modes; adventure, story quest, and slaughterfield. Each game mode follows many of the same rules, but there are enough differences between them to separate them. In fact, slaughterfield is so different that the rules are contained to its own section found later in this book (see page XX). For this section, we will focus on adventures and story quests. Each of these game modes can be broken up into acts.

ActsEach play session in Myth is referred to as an act. A game can take place over the course of several acts, and heroes grow in wealth and power after each act. A single act usually involves the heroes setting up and playing through multiple realm tiles. When playing an adventure, the players decide how many tiles they wish to play and may stop after any realm tile they choose. When playing a story quest, the number of tiles is pre-determined for the players. What players do at the end of an act depends on whether they are playing an adventure or a story quest.

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AdventuresThe majority of this rulebook is written assuming the players are playing an adventure. This game mode is driven purely by the players’ choices. The players decide which realm tiles they wish to play and how to populate those tiles. At the end of an adventure act, the players record the game state following these guidelines:

• Each hero keeps his hero deck. This includes any modifications made through completing previous story quests or defeated agents.

• Each hero keeps all earned titles.

• Each hero may choose and keep 1 item card for each of his earned titles.

• Keep track of the ongoing consequences of any completed or failed quests.

• Keep the contents of the treasure bag, including any modifications made.

• Keep the quest deck. This includes any unlocked quest chains.

• Each hero must shuffle any items not chosen to keep into its corresponding item deck.

• Each hero discards all potion tokens.

• Discard all gold, status effects, and serendipity.

By recording these elements, the players continually change the state of the game each time they play. Since heroes cannot keep any items acquired without at least one earned title, players are encouraged to complete story quests as well as adventures. Adventures allow heroes with titles the chance to find specific items they want to keep.

Act QuestsWhen starting an adventure act, players have the option of drawing an act quest card. Act quests give players some structure for the act as well as an overarching objective. In addition, act quests provide heroes with a reward when completed. If an act quest card does not specify the number or size of realm tiles required, players may choose as normal. Some act quest may chain to others, as specified on the act quest card. When an act quest is unlocked through a chain, players may choose it at the start of a future adventure act. It is important to note that players still draw chapter quests when required while playing an act quest.

Story QuestsA story quest is a more structured game mode where many of the choices have already been made for the players. Most story quests dictate which realm tiles are used and in which order they are placed. In addition, the story quest may list other specific elements to be used. As mentioned earlier, an element required by a story quest is considered fulfilled when resolving a realm tile legend. A story quest can consist of multiple acts and the heroes must complete all acts in order to complete the story quest and gain the reward. Players perform the following steps when recording the game state after a story quest act:

• Each hero keeps his hero deck. This includes any modifications made through completing previous story quests or defeated agents.

• Each hero keeps all earned titles.

• Each hero keeps all items and potions.

• Keep track of the ongoing consequences of any completed or failed quests.

• Keep the contents of the treasure bag, including any modifications made.

• Keep the quest deck. This includes any unlocked quest chains.

• Keep all gold and serendipity.

• Discard all status effects.

After completing the final act of a story quest, the story quest is completed. Players record the game state following the same steps as the end of an adventure act. If the heroes completed the objective successfully, they receive the listed reward.

TitlesMany story quests provide a specific title the heroes may choose as a reward for completing the story quest. Each title carries with it two benefits to the hero who gains it. The first is a special ability tied to that specific title, as listed on the title token. The second is that a hero may keep one item at the end of an adventure act or story quest for each title earned.

While a hero may have many titles, only one of those titles may be active during an act. A hero many only use a title’s special ability while it is active. At the start of each act, each hero must choose which of his titles (if any) will be active. It is important to note that multiple heroes may have the same titles active during an act.

Hero Deck ManipulationMany story quest rewards state that heroes may choose to manipulate their decks by one card. This means that the hero chooses an available hero card to add to his hero deck. The chosen hero card must replace another card of his choice currently in his deck. In the base game, the heroes each have five advanced hero cards to choose from when manipulating their decks. These advanced hero cards are identified by the green flame at the top of the card. Advanced cards, along with any basic hero card previously removed from his deck, are available for the hero to choose from when manipulating his deck. A hero may only choose a hero card with his class icon listed on the card.

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SlaughterfieldSlaughterfield is an alternative game mode for Myth where heroes must survive against multiple waves of enemies. Players always start slaughterfield with new heroes, ignoring any game state recorded during adventures and story quests. When setting up a game of slaughterfield, players make these changes to the setup rules found earlier:

• Remove darkness cards from the darkness board. Darkness cards are not used during slaughterfield.

• When creating the treasure bag, remove all white treasure tokens from the bag and add all blue treasure tokens to the bag. The treasure bag should consist of all green and blue treasure tokens during a game of slaughterfield.

• Choose a 12x12 realm tile and place it in the center of the play area.

• Place each hero in one of the sixteen center squares of the tile.

The Slaughterfield Game RoundThe game round for slaughterfield functions just like it does for adventures and story quests, with only a few exceptions. These are important rules to remember when playing slaughterfield:

• Darkness AP: All enemies in play are always considered active during slaughterfield and therefore each monster-type increases the darkness meter by 1 during the refresh phase.

• Waves: A wave represents new enemies being placed on the realm tile. A game of slaughterfield consists of 10 waves.

• Wave Timer: The first wave is placed during setup and each subsequent wave is placed every four rounds. The wave timer is reduced by one at the start of the refresh phase. If the timer is reduced to zero, a new wave is placed before adding AP to the darkness meter. If the heroes defeat every enemy in a wave before the timer runs out, they have cleared the wave. If a wave is cleared, the new wave isn’t placed until the start of the following round.

• Monster-types: Slaughterfield is intended to allow players to use various types of enemies. This creates a nice mix of variety and challenge. However, some players may not have access to anything outside of the base game. If players cannot fulfill the wave requirements, an additional 1 AP is added to the darkness meter during the refresh phase for each missing monster-type.

• Treasure: A treasure drops for each two minions defeated during an attack.

Wave GeneratorWhen placing waves of enemies, players refer to this wave generator.

[Insert wave generator.]

Slaughterfield During QuestsSome quests call for the slaughterfield game mode. When playing slaughterfield during a quest, players should follow these rules:

• Darkness Cards: Players still draw a darkness card during the darkness cycle when playing slaughterfield during a quest.

• Treasure Bag: The treasure bag is not modified unless specified as a quest reward.

• Waves: The number of waves is listed in the quest rules.

Story Quests[Insert story quests.]

CreditsGame DesignBrian Shotton Kenny Sims

IllustrationKeith Lowe Jonathon Duncan Yoan Boissonnet Jon Bosco Andez Gaston

Revised RulesAdam Sadler

EditingJennifer Sims

Art DirectionKeith Lowe Kyle Hough

Design & LayoutKeith Lowe Chris Doughman

SculptorsZIBOBIZ International LTD Tom Mason

Miniature ProductionZIBOBIZ International LTD Fortress Figures

PrintingPanda Games

Website DesignFoxio